Selective nail-feed mechanism



H. E TWOMLEY.

SELECTIVE NAIL FEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED IUNEZT, I921.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- H. E. TWOMLEY.

SELECTIVE NAIL FEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27,192I.

9 MAJL r n L M OW AW 57 w w E m #2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT E. TWOMLEY, OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE D.

. PARKER, OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA.

SELECTIVE NAIL-FEED MECHANISM.

Specification oi Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

Application filed June 27, 1921. Serial No. 480,757. 7

T 0 all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT E. TWOMLEY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Riverside, in the county of Riverside and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Selective NaiLFeed Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. v,

The present invention relates to that type of controlled nail feed mechanism fully set forth in my application Serial No. 480,758 filed June 27th, 1921, for United States Letters Patent for nail feed mechanism, and to which reference is hereto made, the objects of the invention being the same as those of said application, viz. :the selective control of the nail feed to the mechanism for driving the nails when in nailing position. In my said companion application, the control of the nail cut-out means is regulated by cam actuating rolls removably held to roller block attached to a drive shaft, so that in order to vary the action of the cut-out means for changing the number of nails delivered on a complete revolution of the drive shaft,

one or more of said rollers must be removed.v

In the present case, the timed or variable action of the cut-out means for the nails is regulated or controlled by the action of spring held disks or collars longitudinally movable on the drive shaft, each disk or collar being provided with a series of circumferentially disposed slots or cut-outs, and said collars acting against a cam extension of its associated nail pick pivotally mounted for horizontal movement relative to a fixed nail pick bar, each disk or collar being adjustable relative to the drive shaft to permit of varying timed movements being given to the nail picks in order to control the cut out action thereof for the nails to be delivered thereby from the nail stripper to the receiving tubes for delivering the same to nailing position.

To comprehend the invention reference should be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view disclosing the general arrangement of the working parts of the feed mechanism.

Figure 2 is a broken detail view disclosing two of the nail picks and the means for actuating the same, one of said picks being disclosed in operative position.

Figure 3- is a sideelevation of one of the operating disks or collars in inoperative p0- sltlon with respect to its associated nail pick.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 with the operating disk or collar in operative po sitlon.

Figure 5 is a perspective View disclosing one of the disks or collars for controlling the action of the nail picks.

Figure 6 is an end elevation disclosing the drive end of the feed mechanism.

- Figure 7 is a perspective view of the cam dog of the drive mechanism.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 of the ratchet cam ofthe drive mechanism.

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view taken on the irregular line 9-9 Figure 1 of the drawings, viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 10 is a perspective view disclosing one of the nail picks and its connection to the picker ban,

Figure 11 is an end view in elevation viewed from the drive end of the apparatus.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates an ordinary tiltable or swinging nail pan pivotally associated with the upper end of the downwardly inclined nail strippers 2 provided each With a slot 3 in which a line of nails received from the nail pan hang suspended. A fixed longitudinally disposed nail pick supporting bar 5 is situated in advance of and slightly below the lower end of the line of the nail strippers 2, and on said bar is supported and pivotally mounted for horizontal swinging movement ,a series of aligned nail picks 6, Figures; 1 and 9 of the drawings. There is a nail pick for each nail stripper 4 and as many nail strippers are provided as nails to be positioned beneath driving means for securing the sides and bottom pieces to the ends of a box, as customary in box nailing machinery. With each nail pick 6, of which only,

Parallel with the picker bar 5 is situated a drive shaft 8, working in suitable bearings of the supporting frame pieces 9, said shaft in the present case being disclosed as an intermittently driven one. On the shaft 8 at one end thereof is loosely mounted a cam dog 10, which is actuated by a lever chine.

11 projecting therefrom. This cam dog is provided with one projecting cam tooth 10' which engages with the cam teeth 12 of the ratchet cam 12 keyed to the shaft 8, for imparting longitudinal movement and a step or intermittent rotation to said ratchet cam 12 and the shaft 8. The tooth 10' of the cam dog 10 engages successively with the cam teeth 12 of the ratchet cam 12 during its oscillating movements being actuated by the vertical movable lever 11 projecting therefrom, and which is acted upon for reciprocating movement by any suitable mechanism associated with the box nailing ma- The direction of downward movement of the cam dog 10 is indicated by the arrow (1, Figure 1 of the drawings, while its upward direction of movement is indicated bythe arrow 5.

As the ratchet cam 12 is held against rotation in one direction by the pawl 13 held against the face of the ratchet cam 12 by the tension spring 14, the inclined face of the teeth 12' of the ratchet cam is acted on by the inclined face of the tooth 10' of the cam dog 10 during its upward movement or return to normal position, and this being a sliding contact during the upstroke or return movement of the cam dog 10 gives an endwise movement to the ratchet cam 12 and the shaft 8 to which it is attached, the free end of the pawl 13 during such movement sliding simultaneously in one of the longitudinally disposed grooves 14' milled in the periphery of the ratchet cam corresponding to the points or cam teeth 12' of the ratchet cam 12 and holds the said ratchet cam 12 locked against rotation. The rotary movement or rather the movement of oscillation of the cam dog 10 in one direction only is transmitted to the ratchet cam 12 by the locked engagement of the dog tooth 10' with one of the cam teeth 12 of the ratchet cam 12 for the rotation of the shaft 8. As the dog tooth 10 on the upward stroke of the cam. dog 10 rides over the inclined face of the cam tooth -12 of the ratchet cam 12 in contact therewith, the said ratchet cam and the shaft 8 are gradually moved outwardly until the dog tooth 10 moves off of the surface of the cam tooth 12', the lower end of the pawl 13 during such movement of the ratchet cam 12 sliding in one of the milled grooves or channels 14, and serving during such upward stroke of the cam dog 10 to hold the ratchet cam 12 againstrotation. The moment the dog tooth 10' moves off of the face of the cam tooth 12', the tension of the spring 14 surroundin the shaft 8 serves to return the said 's aft and the ratchet cam 12 fixed thereto to normal posltion.

()n the operating shaft 8 there is secured in spaced relation, a series of longitudinally disposed-aligned adjustable disks '15, each of which! is provided with aprojecting hub 15. There is a disk provided for each of the nail picks 6 and each disk 15 is held in its outward or normal position on the shaft 8 relative to its associated nail pick 6 by meansof a safety or tension spring 16. In the peripheral face of each disk 15 is cut a series of radial slots 16', situated at different distances apart, and in the hub 15 of each disk is cut circumferentially a series of Iongitudinally disposed slots or channels 17 cut with similar angular relation to each other as radial slots 16, into which is adapted to fit a securing pin or stud'l8 radially projected from the shaft 8, Figure 1 of the drawings, the said pins or studs 18 serving to hold the disks 15 against rotation of the shaft 8 when fitted within one of the longitudinal channels or slots 17 of the hub 15,

and causing the disks 15 to move and rotate with the shaft 8.

Each nail pick 6 is pivotally held to the picker bar 5 for horizontal movement by means of the pivot pin 19 which holds the same united to the picker bar 5, each pivotally mounted nail pick 6 being held in normal position by the tension of the nail pick return spring 20. From the inner end portion of each nail pick 6 is extended a cam extension 21, which works against the inner,

face of the picker actuating disks 15 during the rotar movement of the said disks with the rotation of the shaft 8. As the shaft 8 is moved longitudinally outwardly the cam extensions of the nail picks bear against the inner face wall of the disks 15, and as said disks move with the .shaft longitudinally. the nail picks are swung on their pivotal points so as to move the outer end portion thereof inwardly. The outer or free end of each nail pick 6 is provided with a nail receiving recess 6 cut in the inclined face of said picks, each nail receiving seat normally standing in registry with the lower end of the slot 3 of the nail strippers 2, so as to receive the lowermost nail of the series or line of nails 4 held suspended within the slot 3 of the nail stripper. On each outer longitudinal stroke or movement of the shaft 8. the nail picks are swung to cutout the lowermost nail 4 of the series of nails and move the same into position for alignment with the nail receiving and delivery tubes 8, and into which tube the nail falls by gravity from the seat 6' of the nail picks, said nail being crowded out of its seat by coming in contact with the picker bar 5. As the shaft gagement with the inner face of the disk 15,

for if the said tail extension stands in alignment with one of the cut-outs or radial slots 16 of the disks 15, the same will move therethrough on the outward stroke of the shaft 8 and no actuating movement will be trans,

mitted to the nail pick or picks at such times in alignment with said cut-outs.

By changing or varying the position of the nail pick actuating disks relative to the shaft 8 and relative to each other, and which is done by shifting the disk 15 to position the stud 18 from one longitudinal slot 17 to another of the hub 15, it is possible to vary the throw of the nail picks with respect to each other, so that with each revolution of the shaft 8 certain of the nail picks will be actuated a given number of times, and others a greater or less number of times, and by this means permitting a certain number of nails to be cut out or removed from cer tain of the nail strippers, and a'given number to be removed or cut out from certain others of the nail strippers on any one revolution of the shaft 8.

By varying the position of the different disks with respect to one another so that the radial slots 16 of the series of aligned disks stand in staggered relation, any desired number of nails from each of any desired number of nail strippers may be cut out and removed to the nail receiving and delivery tubes 7 on any one rotation of the shaft 8. If the disks are so arranged on the shaft that the radial slots of the entire series stand in horizontal alignment, then each of the disks will actuate the nail pickers in unison so that a given number of nails may be out out from the nail stripper on each I'GVOlIltlOll of the shaft 8.

By this means, any desired combination as to timed feed cut-out of the nails from the the nail strippers may be accomplished, thereby permitting any desired number of nails to be driven being delivered into nailing position in accordance with the desired number of nails to be acted on by the respective nail drive means of a box nailing apparatus, for in such an apparatus it is desirable at times to position simultaneously two to twenty-one nails to be driven beneath the various nail driving means of a box nailing apparatus, and at other times during the course of the operation of the box nailing apparatus it is desired that three or more nails be positioned simultaneously to be acted on by the respective nail driving means of such an apparatus.

*By the present invention, any desired change or timed feed arrangement for the nails from the respective nail strippers to the nail receiving and delivery tubes may be accomplished, and this is accomplished merely by shifting the position of one or more of the diskslfi on the shaft 8 with respect to certain of the other disks 1 5 positioned thereon, so as to bring the radial slots thereof in alignment with the cam tail extension of the nail picks at different times during the rotary movement of the shaft 8.

It will be noted that two independent movements are transmitted to the drive shaft 8, one being a rotatable movement and the other a longitudinally slidable movement. The rotatable movement is produced on the downward stroke or movement of the cam dog 10 loy the dog tooth 10 thereof being at such time in locked engagement with one of the cam teeth 12' of the ratchet cam 12. so that the said ratchet cam which is keyed to the shaft 8 has part rotation given thereto on the said downward stroke of the cam dog 10. On the upward throw or movement of the cam 'dog 10 as its dog tooth l0 rides over one cam 12 of theratchet cam 10, and at which time the ratchet cam 12 is held against rotation by the pawl 13. the said ratchet cam is moved outwardly carrying therewith the shaft 8.

During the rotatable movement of the shaft 8, the disks 15 mounted thereon do not actuate the nail picks 6, but merely move with the rotatable shaft to position portions of the unbroken segmental sections thereof in axial alignment with the cam extension 21 of the nail picks to be operated, but on the outward longitudinal movement of the shaft the unbroken segment of the disks in alignment with the tail extensions 21 acts thereon and as said disks move with the shaft, the pressure of the same against the cam extensions 21 serves to swing the nail picks on their pivotal point. Should one or more of the disks 15 stand positioned at the end of the rotatable stroke of the shaft 8 with a cut-out 16 in alignment with the cam extension 21, no movement will be imparted to the nail pick carrying such extension 21 due to the fact that on the longitudinal movement of the shaft 8. the extension 21 will not be engaged by an unbroken wall portion of the disk 15.

It will be understood that the disks 15 are held in position with sufiicient pressure to actuate the nail picks when properly positioned on the longitudinal outward movement of the shaft 8, by reason of the tension of the spring 16, which also yields to avoid damage when pick is caught by large nail.

When any given stripper is to be shut off entirely, the corresponding spring 16 is com pressed and its corresponding disk has its hub end placed against pin 18 between any two slots 17 holdin said disk from contact with the pick extension 21 at all times. hence no nails are picked ofi' at any time.

\Vhile the invention has been described and illustrated in. its preferred embodiment, 1 do not wish to be understood as confining or limiting the invention to the detailed illustrated working parts described, but on the contrary wish to be understood as claiming a selective feed contitol mechanism for the nails as broadly as the state of the art will warrant.

Ilaving thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent/iszl. A selective nail feed mechanism for the purpose described, the same comprising in combination a rotatable and longitudinally movable shaft, drive means for imparting intermittent rotatable and'longitudinal movements thereto, a plurality of radially notched spring held adjustable aligned operating disks mounted on and carried by said shaft, afixed picker bar arranged parallel of the drive shaft, and a. plurality of aligned spring held ,nail picks pivotally held to said bar for horizontally swinging movement, said nail picks adapted to be acted on by the radially slotted disks during the linear movement of the shaft in one direction for throwing the same in timed relation.

2. A selective nail feed mechanism, the same comprising in combination a series of aligned spring held nail picks, means for feeding nails thereto, a drive shaft mounted for intermittent rotatable and longitudinal movements, and a series of aligned spring held actuating disks adjustably mounted on said shaft and. carried thereby, said disks during one movement'of the shaft adapted to actuate the nail picks in timed relation.

A selective nail feed mechanism, the same comprising a plurality of aligned spring held nail pic-ks mounted for horizontal swinging movement, a plurality of aligned radially slotted spring held actuating disks associated with the nail picks, a shaft on which the disks are adjustably mounted, means for holding the disks in any desired adjusted positionrelative to the shaft, and means for actuating the shaft to position the disks for operating the nail picks in timed relation.

4. A selective nail feed mechanism, the same comprising in combination a plurality of independently spring held aligned nail picks mounted for horizontal swinging movement, a nail stripper associated with each nail pick. and a plurality of aligned rotatable and longitudinally movable spring.

held actuating means associated with each of the nail picks and adapted for actuating the said picks in timed relation. and means for imparting rotatable and longitudinal parting rotatable and longitudinal movements to said operating means.

6. Aselective nail feed mechanism, the same comprising in combination a plurality of spring held aligned nail pickers mounted for horizontal swinging movement, each of said pickers being provided in the face thereof with a nail receiving recess, means for successively delivering nails to said nail pickers, a radially spring held slot-ted disk associated with each of the nail pickers, a hubfor each disk provided With a series of circumferentially disposed longitudinal slots, a rotatable and longitudinally movable shaft on which said disks are mounted, a pin on said shaft associated with each disk .for holding the same in any desired adjusted position, and means for imparting rotatable and longitudinal movements to.

the said shaft for positioning-the operating disks in position relative to the nail picks to adapt the same to actuate the picks in timed relation with the longitudinal movement of the shaft on which they are mounted.

7. A selective nail feed mechanism for the described purpose, the same comprising in combination a fixed picker bar, a plurality of spring held aligned nail picks pivotally mounted on said bar for horizontal swinging movement, means for feeding nails successively to said nail picks, a plurality of independently radially adjustable actuating devices associated With the nail picks for controlling the action thereof in timed relation, and means adapted to impart rotary movement to said actuating devices.

8 A selective nail feed mechanism for the described purpose, the same comprising in combination a plurality of spring held aligned horizontally movable nail picks, a plurality of circumferentially slotted spring held radially adjustable aligned operating disks associated with said nail picks, and means for imparting rotary movement to said disks for actuating the nail picks in timed relation.

9. A selective nail feed mechanism, comprising in combination a plurality of independently adjustable longitudinally movable spring held devices for selectively operating nail picks, each of said devices being radially slotted and provided With a hub formed with a series of circumferential longitudinally disposed slots, means for engaging said slots to hold the operating devices in any desired adjusted position, means associated With each of said devices for transferring nails successively from nail feeding means to nail receiving means, and mechanism for imparting intermittent rotatable and longitudinal movements to the nail picker operating devices to adapt the same to actuate the nail picking means in timed relation.

10. A selective nail feed mechanism for the purpose described, the same comprising in combination a rotatable and longitudinally movable shaft, drive means for imparting intermittent rotatable and longitudinal movements thereto, a plurality of springheld aligned operating disks provided with extensions mounted on and carried by said shaft, a fixed picker bar arranged parallel of the drive shaft, a plurality of aligned spring held nail picks pivotally mounted on said bar for horizontal swinging movement adapted to be acted upon by the extensions on said disks during linear movement of the shaft in one direction and means permitting adjustment of each of said disks radially of said shaft to bring its extensions into and out of engagement with its nail picks.

11. A selective nail feed mechanism, the same comprising in combination a series of aligned spring held nail picks, means for feeding nails thereto, a drive shaft mounted forintermittent rotatable and longitudinal movements, 21 series of aligned spring held actuating disks provided with extensions mounted on said shaft and carried thereby, said extensions on the disks adapted to actuate the nail picks and means permitting the adjustment of each of said disks relative to said shaft to bring its extensions into and out of operative engagement with its nail pick; L

12. A selective nail feed mechanism for the purpose described, the same comprising ment, a series of longitudinally disposed radially adjustable actuating devices associated ith said nail picks, means permitting adjustment of said devices for varying their operative relation with the nail picks, and mechanism for operating the said nail pick actuating devices in unison.

13. A selective nail feed mechanism for the purpose described, the same comprising in combination a rotatable and longitudinally movable. shaft, drive means for imparting intermittent rotatable and longitudinal movements thereto, a plurality of spring held aligned and independently adjustable nail pick operating devices carried by said shaft, a fixed picker bar arranged parallel of the drive shaft, a plurality of aligned spring held nail picks pivotally mounted on said bar for horizontal swinging movement adapted to be acted upon by the nail pick operating devices during linear movement of the drive shaft in one direction, and means permitting the adjustment of the said operating devices radially of the shaft to place the same into and out of operative engagement 'with the nail picks during the rotary movement of the drive shaft.

14. A selective nail feed mechanism for the described purpose, the same comprising in combination a picker bar, a plurality of spring held nail picks pivotally mounted thereon for horizontal swinging movement, each nail pick being provided with a rearwardly extended cam projection, a rotatable and longitudinal movable operating shaft, a plurality of aligned spring held circumferentially slotted actuating disks carried b said shaft for association with said nail picks, means permitting radial adjustment of said disks to adapt the same for actuating the nail picks in timed relation, and means for imparting intermittent longitudinal and rotary movements to the operating shaft.

n testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HERBERT E. TWOMLEY. 

